Could this be the hardware spec for Microsoft's Pink phone? — While rumors about what is/isn't part of the next Zunes and “Pink” phones swirl, I figured I'd add a few more tidbits that I've been hoarding. — First up: A list of what may or may not be the final specs for the Windows Mobile 7 Chassis 1.

This just in from Microsoft: No Zune in June — A few hours ago we reported that someone from Microsoft was reportedly tweeting some hints at a possible June release for a new device. We've been speaking with company officials all morning, and there seems to have been a big mix-up.

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone Release Imminent - Wi-Fi only — MacRumors has heard that Sling Media's long awaited SlingPlayer Mobile may finally appear on the App Store tonight. — In addition to full support of current Slingboxes (PRO-HD and SOLO), legacy Slingboxes, which include the Classic …

France Approves Crackdown on Internet Piracy — PARIS — The French National Assembly on Tuesday approved a plan by President Nicolas Sarkozy to punish digital pirates with the possible suspension of their Internet connections, a little more than a month after the same body had rejected the proposal in a surprise vote.

In defense of Microsoft's $9 billion research budget — Rupert Goodwins at Cnet makes the case that Microsoft's gigantic R&D budget — Steve Ballmer pegged it at $9 billion this year at his speech in Dallas last week — is more about marketing and prestige than actually creating new products or even developing scientific breakthroughs.

Chinese rumor claims 2009 iPhone will be modest upgrade — A forum thread on a Chinese Apple fan site is generating some interest by AppleInsider readers because one commenter claims to have used prototypes of Apple's next-gen iPhone because he purportedly has a friend working at the company's manufacturing partner Foxconn.

Print Books Are Target of Pirates on the Web — Ursula K. Le Guin, the science fiction writer, was perusing the Web site Scribd last month when she came across digital copies of some books that seemed quite familiar to her. No wonder. She wrote them, including a free-for-the-taking copy …

Security Alert: Twitter Porn Names Scam — Popular social networking site Twitter's current top trending topic, or things that are twittered the most in a period of time has a security hole. What larger hole to patch then that of human error itself. The “twitter porn names” …

Palm and Sprint announcing Pre availability May 19th in the WSJ? — We just got a tip from a very proven tipster who informed us that Palm and Sprint were set to make a big announcement in the Wall Street Journal on May 19th. They said that there's a very good chance of Palm and Sprint announcing the Pre release date then.

Wolfram Alpha gets supercomputer boost — One of my concerns with the public launch of Wolfram Alpha later this month is withstanding the crushing load the Internet can impose. But Wolfram Research revealed Tuesday it's building the service on the world's 66th-fastest supercomputer.

At Start-Ups, Boards Spar Over Cash Plans — Managers Face Dilemma Over Whether to Save or Spend Amid Recession, Slump in Financing — SAN FRANCISCO — At a recent board meeting, Jaspersoft Corp. Chief Executive Brian Gentile found himself stuck between two camps: the savers and the spenders.

Madison Avenue and the App Store — There are two new reports this week about how to use Apple's (AAPL) App Store as a marketing medium. — The first, in today's Wall Street Journal, cites several success stories, including Zippo's virtual lighter and Lions Gate's (LGF) Stun-O-Matic.

Be the First to Know with Immediate Notifications — Notifications let you know when people take actions on Facebook related to you, so you can quickly check out a photo you've been tagged in or read a new posting on your Wall. They already are available from your home page …

Up to 24 percent of software purchases now open source — Open source has become big business, suggests an article in the Investors Business Daily, but it has done so by becoming more like the proprietary-software world it purports to leave behind. — The article cites recent research …

An approach to fair ad blocking — Update: Sorry but I won't answer most comments individually any more - they are just reiterating points that have been mentioned already. I am going to summarize the feedback in a new blog post soon. — As I stated many times before …

Chrome-on-Mac precursor rough but workable — I spent the better part of Monday trying out the Mac OS X version of Chromium, the open-source project on which Google Chrome is based, and I'm favorably impressed. — The software, available for download from the Chromium Web site …

Tracking Cyberspies Through the Web Wilderness — For old-fashioned detectives, the problem was always acquiring information. For the cybersleuth, hunting evidence in the data tangle of the Internet, the problem is different. — “The holy grail is how can you distinguish between information …

Dell undercuts Netbook competitors with the $299 Mini 10v — Dell has released a revamp of its Mini 10 Netbook, that “delivers on value,” says the company. Accordingly, the new product's name is the Dell Mini 10v. Starting at $299, the Mini 10v is a bold shot across the bow of the competition, notably Acer's $349 Aspire One.

Nightline Teams Up With Twitter for New Web Show — Join the Conversation With Nightline Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. ET — “Nightline” is expanding its ongoing relationship with Twitter to develop “NightTline,” a new half-hour digital program hosted by the show's anchors and correspondents …

Galloway denies he approached Google about NY Times — New York Times Co board member Scott Galloway said on Tuesday he did not contact Google Inc Co-founder Larry Page to try to get the Internet company to buy the newspaper publisher. — Galloway told Reuters he has not talked to anyone else …